the Lord as “the Father,” and to the servant whom Allah cares for and nurtures as “the Son.” Thus the Messiah said:

“Baptize the people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

He thereby commanded them to believe in Allah, in His servant and messenger, the Messiah, and in the Holy Spirit, Gabriel. These names thus referred to Allah, His angelic messenger, and His human messenger.

Allah Most High says:

“Allah chooses messengers from among the angels and from among mankind.”

In several verses, the Most High states that He strengthened the Messiah with the Holy Spirit, who, according to the majority of Quranic commentators, is Gabriel. For example, He says:

“We certainly gave Moses the Scripture and sent a succession of messengers after him. We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.”

According to the majority of Quranic commentators, the Holy Spirit is Gabriel. Indeed, this is the view of Ibn ʿAbbās, Qatāda, al-Dahhāk, al-Suddī, and others. The evidence for this is His saying:

“When We replace one verse with another—and Allah knows best what He sends down—they say, ‘You are only a fabricator.’ But most of them do not know.”

“Say: The Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth, to make firm those who believe, and as guidance and glad tidings for the Muslims.”

Al-Dahhāk reported from Ibn ʿAbbās that it is the name by which he would bring the dead to life. It is also reported from ʿAbd al-Rahmān ibn Zayd ibn Aslam that it is the Gospel.

The Most High says:

“Those are the ones in whose hearts He has inscribed faith and whom He has strengthened with a spirit from Him.”

And the Most High says:

“Thus We have revealed to you a spirit by Our command. You did not know what the Scripture was, nor faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants.”

And the Most High says: “He sends down